Keiji Inafune let a junior designer draw the new Mega Man. For himself he drew a red robot named Zero, and in his own mind Zero was the hero.
Inafune told this story to Yoshiki Okamoto, a former Capcom colleague, on Okamoto's YouTube channel.
For the new game, the producer, Tokuro Fujiwara, asked Inafune to make Mega Man a bit cooler. Inafune was the main designer, and he said a main designer would normally keep the hero's design for himself. He decided he could do without it. Mega Man's original design, he said, was Akira Kitamura's, so he wanted a character of his own design in the Mega Man world.
The new Mega Man, X, went to a junior designer, Hayato Kaji. Inafune checked the work, and said he handed it over partly to train him.
Inafune designed Zero, X's ally, and made him red, the opposite of Mega Man's blue. He knew that a proposal to make the red robot the hero would never be approved. He put his own effort into Zero, working out his background and his story so that players would love him. Zero became popular, just as he had planned. He told Okamoto it had been enormous fun.
Near the end of the game, in the villain Sigma's fortress, Zero is blown apart. Inafune said he already knew there would be a Mega Man X2, and he planned all along to bring Zero back.
About this game
One spring afternoon, an order came down to Keiji Inafune at Capcom: "Make a Rockman for the Super Famicom." Rockman is Mega Man's name in Japan, and the Super Famicom is the Japanese Super NES. Inafune wrote about that afternoon in a 1994 development diary, printed in the liner notes of the Rockman X Alph-Lyla CD. In the English translation by the site shmuplations, he says:
"You see, in the Capcom Consumer division, the Rockman series was the most dreaded of the three 'instant death' series (along with Ghosts and Goblins and any Disney game). If you were assigned it, you could kiss your freedom goodbye. And now it had come to me…"
The game went on sale in Japan on December 17, 1993. You play X, a robot built by Dr. Light, the scientist who also built Mega Man. X fights eight robot bosses called Mavericks, in any order you like, and takes a weapon from each one he defeats.
Key Features
X starts with an arm cannon, the X-Buster, and can hold the button to charge a bigger shot. He can cling to walls and kick off them to climb. Inafune wrote in the diary that he kicked a wall in a temper, and then it came to him: "Yes, this could be just the new action I've been looking for for Rockman X!" Four capsules hidden in the stages hold armor parts for X's legs, arms, body and helmet. The leg parts give him a dash, and the helmet part lets him break certain blocks. Eight Heart Tanks raise his maximum health, and four Sub Tanks store spare energy. Each boss is weak to another boss's weapon, so the order you choose matters. After the eight bosses, X goes into the fortress of Sigma, the Mavericks' leader. Progress is saved with a password.
Gallery
The Story Behind
When Okamoto asked for his strongest memory of Fujiwara, Inafune described how he got his designs approved. He would bring about three versions for Fujiwara to choose from, having already decided which one he wanted. Into the other two he put things Fujiwara disliked, such as pink. Fujiwara would call those wrong and pick the one Inafune wanted, every time. Inafune said Fujiwara had firm beliefs about what was no good. He admitted it wasn't the smartest way to work. It did get him a quick yes.
Tricks & Tales
Dr. Light, the scientist who built X, is hidden in the game dressed as Ryu from Street Fighter II. To meet him, collect all eight Heart Tanks, all four Sub Tanks and all four armor parts. Then go back to Armored Armadillo's stage and climb to a ledge near the end with full health. Keep coming back to that ledge, and a capsule eventually appears. Dr. Light is inside, and he gives X the Hadouken, Ryu's fireball. X can only throw it at full health, and it defeats many enemies in one hit.
Super Rockman was the game's working title. In the same 1994 diary, planner Sho Tsuge and designer Kazunori Tazaki wrote that Rockman X had been a candidate from the beginning, and at some point it became the official name.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Super Famicom and SNES region differences operate on two separate levels. First, there is a physical incompatibility: a Japanese Super Famicom cartridge and a North American SNES cartridge have different shell shapes. NTSC-J (Super Famicom) carts are narrower and will not seat in a North American SNES slot without the slot's internal tabs removed or bypassed; conversely, the wider NTSC-U carts cannot even be inserted into a Super Famicom. Second, even where cartridges physically fit — PAL carts share a shell shape closer to Super Famicom and will insert — a lockout chip on the motherboard (F411 for NTSC, F413 for PAL) will prevent the game from booting on a mismatched console. Running a Super Famicom cartridge on a Super Famicom purchased in Japan is of course straightforward; playing it on a foreign console requires either a mod or an adapter that addresses both the physical and the chip-level lock.
Maintenance Tips
The 72-pin cartridge connector is the most common maintenance point. Clean the gold-plated pins on cartridges with a cotton swab and 90%+ isopropyl alcohol; never use abrasive erasers on cartridge contacts. The connector slot on the console itself can be cleaned by inserting and removing a cartridge several times, or with a dedicated pin cleaner. For video output, S-Video provides significantly cleaner image quality than composite and uses the same multi-out port -- a passive adapter cable is all that is required. On early SHVC board revisions, a capacitor near the power LED can leak; inspect the board if the console shows instability. Use the original AC adapter or a verified equivalent: the SFC runs on 10V DC and is not compatible with Famicom or NES power supplies.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Mega Man X copies regularly.
Does Mega Man X use a save battery that might be dead?
No. The original 1993 Super Famicom version of Mega Man X uses a password system, not battery-backed saves. You write down a 12-digit password after clearing a stage, and enter it on the title screen to resume. No battery means no battery worry — your cartridge won't forget because there's nothing to power. It's one less thing to check when buying a used copy.
Will this Japanese Super Famicom cartridge work on a North American Super Nintendo (SNES)?
No, not directly. The Super Famicom and SNES are incompatible in two ways: the cartridge shape differs (the SFC cartridge has a different width and notch layout), and both consoles include a regional lockout chip (the CIC chip) that rejects foreign cartridges. Third-party adapters exist that address both issues simultaneously by bridging the physical shape and bypassing the lockout chip. Some collectors modify their SNES console to disable the CIC chip entirely. A Japanese Super Famicom cartridge is always best paired with a Japanese Super Famicom.
How should I clean a Super Famicom cartridge?
Apply 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab and gently wipe the gold-plated edge contacts visible inside the cartridge's connector slot. Never blow into the cartridge. If the shell needs to be opened for deeper cleaning, Super Famicom cartridges use 3.8mm security game bit screws — the same proprietary screw as the Famicom. Standard Phillips screwdrivers will not fit and will strip the screw heads. Clean gently and allow the contacts to dry fully before reinserting the cartridge.
How do I check whether a Super Famicom cartridge is authentic?
Several details distinguish authentic cartridges from reproductions. Authentic Super Famicom cartridges use proprietary security screws — visible Phillips head screws indicate the shell has been opened or replaced. The Nintendo logo on the back of an authentic cartridge is embossed (raised into the plastic), not printed or applied as a sticker. Natural UV yellowing of the gray plastic, consistent with the cartridge's age, is expected on genuine copies; uniformly pristine white plastic on a 30-year-old cartridge is a warning sign. The QA certification stamp on the back label of an authentic cartridge is a pressed indentation, typically absent on bootlegs. For high-value titles, cross-referencing PCB markings and chip date codes with verified collector databases is recommended.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Mega Man X
A short checklist for buying a used Super Famicom cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese Super Famicom cartridge; its shell is shaped differently from the North American SNES and will not fit without modification.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Confirm it is genuine, not a reproduction
Sought-after titles are targets for reproduction boards with replacement labels.
Ask for a photo of the circuit board and look for factory markings. Favour a shop with a licensed second-hand dealer permit (古物商) — by law its stock has a traceable origin, your simplest guard against fakes.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
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Cite this page
Taisei Shimizu. "Mega Man X." Enjoy Game Japan Museum. Updated August 8, 2026. https://museum.enjoygamejapan.online/en/games/mega-man-x/